By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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What began as a scary occurrence that could have produced a serious accident turned into a hassle and nightmarish Friday evening that has roundly summed up 2016 for the Minnesota Vikings.

While taxiing after a safe landing in Appleton, Wisconsin, the Vikings‘ team plane slid off the runway and became stuck, the team announced. The Vikings faced an additional two-hour wait on the plane after the incident, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported, before a firetruck was dispatched to carry the passengers off the plane. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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In the aftermath of Luke Kuechly‘s latest concussion, and his extended time away from the field, the opinions of the linebacker’s next move have run the gamut. Perhaps none, though, carry more weight than that of Kuechly’s superstar teammate.

“Luke is a person that could potentially to be the greatest linebacker that has ever played — straight up,” Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said Thursday. “… I don’t think, for me, I would want to jeopardize that for a long, long-term issue just to bring him back.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Buccaneers surprised the football world with a key inactive that no one saw coming.

Tampa Bay listed running back Doug Martin as inactive for Saturday’s game against New Orleans. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Martin was a healthy scratch via a coach’s decision, which is fairly peculiar for a team that has dealt with a bevy of injuries at the position. Continue reading →

By Around the NFL staff
NFL.com
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Baby, it’s cold outside — but the playoff races are heating up!

The moribund AFC South showed signs of life on Sunday with each of its three contenders coming away with victories. Brock Osweiler was finally — mercilessly — benched in favor of Tom Savage, who led a major Texans comeback over the Jaguars to stay tied in the lead in the South with the Titans … whose quarterback, Marcus Mariota overcame early errors to ignite a 10-point comeback in frigid Kansas City … but don’t count out the Colts, who rolled over the hapless Vikings and are just one game back.

Elsewhere, a Lions loss to the Giants and a close Packers victory in the sub-zero Windy City closed the former’s lead in the NFC North to one game; and with their respective wins, Baltimore and Pittsburgh stayed neck-and-neck atop the AFC North with next week’s matchup looming. Here’s what we’ve learned so far from Week 15: Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Minnesota has tried to patch a large hole in its running game with various stopgaps over the course of the regular season.

It might get the permanent fix in time for Week 16.

Adrian Peterson intends to return to practice this week and plans to play against the Packers in Week 16, he said Monday during a 15-minute interview with DJ Skee on dashradio.com, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Continue reading →

By Around the NFL staff
NFL.com
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Who wants the sixth seed?

The Titans‘ upset win over the Broncos in Nashville drew Denver even with teams previously out of the playoff picture in the AFC. With a win over Arizona, the Dolphins moved to 8-5, tied for the final spot, but their victory was costly; Ryan Tannehill is believed to have torn his ACL.

There are zero questions at quarterback or running back in Pittsburgh. The Steelers rolled over Buffalo in the snow, thanks to a three-score afternoon from Le’Veon Bell. Also at 8-5, Pittsburgh has a brief stranglehold on the third seed, one that will be questioned when Baltimore plays the Patriots on Monday night.

Meanwhile, in the NFC, Washington all but knocked Philadelphia out of playoff contention with a late strip sack on Carson Wentz and moved to within a half-game of the Buccaneers. Minnesota escaped disaster in Jacksonville, keeping its playoff hopes alive at 7-6, while the Packers kept pace following their dismantling of Seattle at Lambeau. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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It’s the second-most hopeful time of the NFL season — it’s time for playoff scenarios to come together.

Few moments are more enjoyable than when a network broadcast shows a full-screen graphic of the playoff picture, and seven teams are squeezed into the “In the Hunt” category with near-identical records. Parity reigns supreme, and nothing is certain. Will the Texans win the AFC South? What are the chances the Buccaneers end up with a playoff spot? What is time?

Week 14 offers three teams the chance to clinch a playoff berth and/or division title (with Dallas having already locked up a ticket to the postseason): New England, Seattle and Dallas. Time to play make-believe! Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Week 14 of the NFL season is upon us, and that means it’s time for another round of bold predictions. As always, this week’s edition of fearless prognostications includes a macho helping of audaciousness and abandon as we head into Sunday and Monday’s contests. Warning: These predictions are not for the faint of heart.

Robert Griffin III accounts for three touchdowns, Browns win

For our midseason bold predictions, I put the Browns in the grave. 0-16. History of the worst kind. And yet, this week, the Bob Griffin Era Part Two begins, and with it comes Cleveland’s best chance to avoid going winless in 2016. With Griffin under center, the Browns‘ offense instantly improves from dead-cat liveliness to registering a heartbeat, as his mobility offers another dimension for which the Bengals must account for. Cleveland gets the advantage of being at home in a game that will likely include plenty of empty orange seats, but also brings the welcome feeling of spending the week in the comfort of a familiar city. This combo sets up the Browns for a possible win, with nothing more to support this prediction.

Cleveland, at 0-12, doesn’t possess statistics worth researching or referencing. The most encouraging note to point out is how the Browns were competitive earlier in the season when closer to full strength. They’ll enter the rematch with the Bengals with the addition of Jamie Collins on defense, who hasn’t provided much to cheer about, but also isn’t his fault on a roster largely devoid of talent. So we’ll instead point to the intangibles, the traits that cannot be quantified, the effort and the #grit the Browns will need to display to have any shot in this contest. In their favor is Cincinnati’s season, which isn’t progressing toward the playoffs, and an offensive unit that is missing stars A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard. We’re overlooking the Bengals‘ thrashing of the Eagles last week, and we’re riding an overflowing glass level of optimism necessary to make this pick. Cleveland wins and prays San Francisco manages to pull out a victory before 2016 comes to a close. One win is far from the Browns‘ ultimate goals, but anything is better than going winless. It’s time to end that streak of days without a win. Keep Hue Jackson from press conference tears. Victory Monday is ahead for the Browns.

— Nick Shook

To read the full bold predictions from the Around the NFL writers, click here.

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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League leading rusher. Top candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Playoff qualifier. Division leader. Budding superstar running back. All of these terms can be used to describe rookie sensation Ezekiel Elliott.

But leading Pro Bowl vote-getter? Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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It wasn’t Brock Osweiler‘s fault the Texans lost on Sunday.

In fact, despite constant snowfall, Osweiler had one of his better games, completing 22 of 35 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Bob McNair wants to make sure real recognizes real.

“I thought he played great,” the Texans owner said of Osweiler, via the Houston Chronicle. “He played as well as his competitor did. If not for the passes that were dropped, his grade would have been higher than (Packers quarterback Aaron) Rodgers. Don’t be critical of him. He played well.”

Well, it’s great to know that as the franchise’s latest major investment, you still have the support of the owner. But for much of the season, the constant theme of the struggling but contending Texans has been the stagnant, seemingly handcuffed offense that begins and often ends with Osweiler. Don’t take it from us; take it from Houston Chronicle beat writer John McClain. Continue reading →